Jail term imposed for brother-sister incest
The daughter of a brother and sister who met as adults and had a relationship was at the Christchurch Court House as her father was jailed for a year for incest.
The court heard that a sentence such as home or community detention may have been considered earlier for the man, now in his 20s, but his behaviour in recent months has put that out of reach.
He has repeatedly breached bail or failed to turn up at court, and a warrant had to be issued so that he would be arrested and held in custody for his sentencing today by Christchurch District Court Judge David Saunders.
After long-standing difficulties with drug use, the man has now taken up using the class A drug methamphetamine. He also failed to do much of a current community work sentence.
The man wants to be involved with parenting and his sister was at the court. He wants to change and get drug rehabilitation treatment, but Judge Saunder made it clear the court saw no option but to jail him.
“Some time for quiet reflection about where this has all taken him will do him some good,” said the judge. “He can’t be a father figure while he is under the influence of methamphetamine.”
The sister, who has the care of their daughter – now a toddler – earlier received a sentence of community detention and intensive supervision.
The two met for the first time when they were aged about 16. They formed a relationship a few years later. That led to the pregnancy and the birth of a healthy daughter.
Defence counsel Vicki Walsh said the brother accepted now that imprisonment was the only realistic option on charges of incest, intentional damage of a door, breach of community work, and possession of tools for drug taking.
“He is doing his best, but his best is simply not good enough,” she said. The brother’s family members had serious drug addictions and he probably had no chance of avoiding having a drug problem himself.
Judge Saunders said sentences of over two years jail had been imposed in cases of father-daughter incest, but the courts recognised that in cases of incest between brothers and sisters – where the age situation meant there was no taking advantage by one or the other – a less punitive approach was possible.
He jailed the brother for a year, with six months of post release conditions for drug and alcohol assessment and treatment as directed.
Category: Focus
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